Contradictions
by Atlantean Pineapple
Summary: The Goa'uld system lords Camulus and Tersis hate each other, but their hosts are from the same planet, and are in love. Are they doomed to suffer this contradiction forever?
1. Negotiations

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1.

"Dr. Weir," Daniel called.

"What is it?" The Goa'uld system lords Camulus, Amaterasu, and Yu were planning a visit, and she was nervous, to say the least.

"We just received word that another Goa'uld is coming."

"What?" Neither of them was happy about this.

"It was interesting, actually. Camulus didn't seem all that… enthusiastic about it either."

"Oh, really?"

"He actually went so far as to warn me of her 'ways'."

"Wow. Which one is it?" This information was not soothing her nerves.

"Well, I've never heard of her, which is odd, but her name is Tersis."

"Alright. Find anything you can about her," Dr. Weir said with a nod.

"I have a feeling I won't find much, but I'll look," Daniel replied.

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"I found it!" Daniel exclaimed, throwing the door to Dr. Weir's office open and hurrying to her desk.

Startled, Dr. Weir looked up at him. "Something on Tersis, I hope."

"Yes, of course. Actually, it's a little funny. Now I know why I've never heard of her. You see, she was a one of a kind Goa'uld. She had no desire to find free worlds and enslave the people. In fact, she spent years in solitude, training an army, making her Jaffa the most skillful in the universe since no other Goa'ulds bothered. Anyway, the reason she spent so much time was to launch an attack on one specific Goa'uld's territory… Camulus."

Dr. Weir leaned toward him, surprised and intrigued. "Which would explain why Camulus wasn't happy about her joining their little party."

"Yes, well, as it turns out, she became a major annoyance. At one point, she took control of half of his acquired planets without ever bothering any other Goa'uld, so it was definitely personal. I just wonder why she chose to only go after him. He was never the biggest threat in the universe, and as far as I can tell, he never did anything to provoke her…" Daniel trailed off, thinking through many possibilities.

"It's not really our problem though, unless it effects the meeting."

"Yeah, I suppose… But what really gets me is that she never attacked Camulus directly, just irritated him."

"Who knows, Daniel? These are Goa'ulds. Maybe she has a crush on him," she joked with a small smirk.

Daniel froze and seemed to consider it. "Well, I doubt…" He stopped himself when he noticed her expression. "Oh." He let out a fake laugh. "Good one."

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"I thought you were gonna stand me up," Dr. Weir said when she saw Daniel enter the Gate room.

Daniel finished strapping on his watch and took his place next to her. "Yeah, sorry."

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The first one through the gate was a dark haired, serious woman, whom Daniel knew was Amaterasu. Second came an agitated Camulus, followed by Lord Yu and one of his underlings. The last Goa'uld through the gate was a tall, beautiful woman with long, light brown (almost blonde) hair, baby blue eyes, and gentle, angelic features. _She couldn't possibly be a Goa'uld, let alone the terror Camulus had made her out to be,_ Daniel thought. But then the team that was sent to meet them came through and the gate closed. The lovely woman in the flowing white and deep purple outfit was Tersis.

"Welcome to Earth. Allow me to introduce…" Dr. Weir started.

"We are not interested in your name," Camulus stated, interrupting.

Dr. Weir responded with, "Really? I find it helps…"

"We prefer to present our offer so we can spend as brief a time as possible on this planet." This time it was Amaterasu who spoke.

That was when Tersis confirmed the fact that she was a Goa'uld, if only because of the voice. "That was very rude, Camulus."

Camulus stiffened visibly.

Dr. Weir looked between them. "Right this way."

Camulus moved to lead the group, but Tersis brushed past him, smirking slightly.

_It's like a car crash… so deadly and yet you can't look away_, thought Weir as she followed their 'guests' into a meeting room.

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"Your unexpected defeat of Anubis…"

Tersis saying, "You speak of them as if they are beneath you", cut him off.

Dr. Weir knew that it was not a compliment to them, but an insult to him. Camulus brilliantly ignored her and continued in a tense fashion, "has created an unstable situation among the system lords. In order to avoid open war, we came to an agreement to divide his territories and his armies evenly."

"How civilized of you," Daniel commented dryly.

Camulus turned to face him, doing a great job of concealing his immense frustration. "Yes… Unfortunately, one among us has broken that agreement."

"Oh, no, no. Don't tell me. Let me guess. It's…" Daniel started, but the name was eluding him.

"Ba'al," Amaterasu finished for him.

"Ba'al," Daniel repeated.

"He was able to learn the location of the planet where Anubis was creating his Kull warriors," Camulus told them, clearly not amused.

"Ba'al got there before you and found a way to program the soldiers to serve him."

"With those Orac at his command, Ba'al has tipped the balance of power in his favor," Amaterasu added.

"Orac?" Dr. Weir questioned.

"Unspeakable," Daniel clarified.

"In battle, the Kull are far superior to the Jaffa," Camulus started.

"Meaning Camulus had no chance," Tersis interjected.

"Silence!" Camulus demanded, banging his fist on the table in anger. Daniel and Dr. Weir tensed.

"Oh, you have more to say? Alright, continue, since you enjoy the sound of your own voice so much."

Camulus closed his eyes momentarily. Goa'ulds weren't known for keeping their temper under control or holding back from murder. They really must be desperate. "Already, many among us have begun to speak of capitulation, much as they did with Anubis. If that happens, Ba'al will indeed be unstoppable."

"Especially by you, though you wouldn't last a minute either way."

Dr. Weir interrupted before Camulus could respond. "This is all very interesting, but I fail to see what it has to do with us."

Yu conversed quietly with his underling, Oshu.

"My master wishes to say it is well known the Tauri possess a powerful new weapon… something far beyond their current level of technology.

Daniel said, "Yes. We used it to kill Anubis and destroy his fleet.

"By means of this weapon, Ba'al can be prevented from conquering the galaxy," Oshu continued.

Daniel glanced at Dr. Weir, conveying silently that they were finally getting somewhere.

"If Ba'al defeats us, how long do you think it'll be before he turns his attention to you?" Camulus asked.

Dr. Weir debated rolling her eyes, and in the end decided against it. "If he does, he'll suffer the same fate as Anubis.

Amaterasu cut in once again. "Perhaps. But there are other worlds in this galaxy without the luxury of such advanced defences.

"What are you talking about?" Daniel inquired.

"I could not help but notice that the Asgard did not come to your aid when Anubis threatened your planet. In fact, we've heard nothing from the Asgard for quite some time now," she replied.

"Really? That's odd, 'cause we talk to them all the time," Daniel lied.

"The Asgard didn't come because they knew it wasn't necessary," Weir added.

"Ba'al believes otherwise. He is convinced that the Asgard can no longer exercise power in this galaxy. He intends to take the planets protected under the Goa'uld/Asgard treaty for himself," Amaterasu said, trying to sound concerned.

"If you do not help us stop him, millions of humans will die. And millions more will be enslaved," Camulus said, not really caring, but knowing it would make them more inclined to help.

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Camulus, Amaterasu, Tersis, Yu, and Oshu were left in the meeting room with a snack and beverages while Daniel and Dr. Weir went off to talk about what they had learned so far. Yu was eating a small sandwich and spit it out. Oshu actually swallowed his. Amaterasu was sitting at the table, sipping on a glass of water, and Camulus was looking out the window at the Stargate.

Tersis walked up behind him. "This is going well, don't you think, Camulus?"

Though the other occupants of the room heard them, they ignored what was sure to be a fight.

"What makes you think I am going to speak to you after you tried to make a fool out of me?" he questioned.

"I did not _try_ to make a fool out of you. I _did_ make a fool out of you." Tersis leaned against the wall beside him. "Nice skirt, by the way."

Camulus turned and glared at her in silence.

"Are you trying to frighten me? You should know better than that."

"As soon as we are off of this miserable planet, you had better beg for mercy. Not that it will sway me."

Tersis stood and took a few steps closer to him, suddenly serious. "You will never kill me, Camulus. Just as I will never kill you."

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"We appreciate you bringing us this information but it doesn't change the fact that we can't get involved in any internal Goa'uld dispute. And if Ba'al tries to attack any of the protected planets, he'll suffer the consequences," Dr. Weir said. She and Daniel had rejoined the system lords in the meeting room.

"Unfortunately, we do not share your faith in the Asgard. We must stop Ba'al before it comes to that," Camulus said. The war between Tersis and himself seemed to be on hold for the moment.

"You'll forgive my bluntness, but that's not our problem."

"Enough!" Yu suddenly exclaimed. "With each passing moment, Anubis grows more powerful."

Everyone in the room went silent for a moment before Daniel said, "You mean Ba'al."

Oshu jumped into action. "My master is fatigued. We request a short a short adjournment…"

"Silence!" Yu ordered. "I need no adjournment."

Camulus broke the awkwardness by jumping back into the discussion of what they wanted. "We know you have a formidable new defensive weapon, but with it, you must wait for your enemies to come to you. And that can be dangerous. What if an enemy were to devise a means of defeating this weapon?"

"What exactly are you offering?" Weir questioned.

"Hyperdrive engines."

"We know you have battleships that are not capable of interstellar travel," Amaterasu said.

"We are offering you a means of producing a fleet of ships as advanced as the Goa'uld Ha'tak vessels. You could take the fight to the enemy," Camulus stated, leaning forward.

"And what you know of bringing fight, you coward?" Tersis asked disdainfully.

"Push me no further, Tersis!"

Once again, Weir distracted them before it could come to violence. "Your offer is very generous, but I'm afraid we're gonna have to decline."

This startled Camulus into disregarding Tersis' comments for the moment. "You would be able to uphold the protected planets' treaty with or without the aid of the Asgard."

"How many hyperdrives are you willing to give us?" questioned Daniel.

Amaterasu responded with a different question. "How many ships can you build?"

"I think the real question is how many ships do you have?" Daniel replied. "I mean, if we're gonna enforce this treaty ourselves, we need to build enough ships to match any fleet that would oppose us."

"That one is clever," Tersis said with a small smirk.

Camulus ignored her and told Daniel, "We are not at liberty to discuss such information."

"Well then, this discussion is over," Dr. Weir said in a tone of finality.

"How can you blithely reject such an offer?" Amaterasu asked heatedly.

Weir turned to her. "Because we're not about to fight your battles for you in exchange for a couple of hyperdrive engines that may or may not do us any good. And especially since we already have that technology at our disposal."

"You have viable hyperdrive technology?" Camulus inquired.

"Are you growing deaf, Camulus, or are you just enjoying your voice again?" Tersis snapped.

Dr. Weir seemed to be making a habit of this. "Yes, we do. And with the help of the Asgard, we're in the process of implementing it right now. So thank you very much."

Amaterasu had a small secretive smile on her lips. "This Ancient weapon: such an advanced piece of technology. The power requirements must be enormous. Even simple maintenance must be extremely difficult given your… limited capabilities."

"Limited capabilities? And here I thought we were talking about the Tauri, not Camulus," Tersis said with a small laugh.

"Silence, Tersis! I have had enough," Amaterasu demanded.

When Tersis settled down, Weir replied to Amaterasu's statement with, "We manage."

Tersis said, "Of course. We believe you."

"But I wonder what Ba'al would think if he were to receive intelligence that the weapon was…" Amaterasu started.

"Temporarily out of commission," Tersis finished.

For once having a common goal, Camulus played along. "He would come to this world to claim it for himself. The Tauri would be forced to destroy him."

Amaterasu continued. "And we would have to give them…"

"Nothing," finished Tersis.

"Oh, come on," said Daniel. "Ba'al would never fall for that. He knows how desperate you are. I think he might find this information convenient."

"Perhaps, but you leave us few options," Camulus replied.

"Okay. We'll do it," stated Dr. Weir.

Daniel coughed slightly. "We will?"

"In exchange, we want Ba'al's territory," Weir explained.

"What do you mean?" Camulus asked.

Weir glanced at him. "That's the way it works, right? When one system lord kills another, he takes over his armies, his fleet, his planets. That's what we want- everything in Ba'al's possession."

Amaterasu had lost the triumphant look. "You cannot be serious."

"If we're gonna be the ones who destroy Ba'al for you, why should we settle for anything less?"

"Preposterous," Yu commented.

"Odd," murmured Tersis, deep in thought.

"We cannot accept those terms," Camulus said, adding to the band of refusals.

"Take it or leave it," Weir stated.

Camulus thought for a moment. "We must send a message to the other system lords to advise them of the current situation."

Tersis looked over at Weir for the woman's answer.

"Go ahead."

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Negotiations hadn't gone well, but they could certainly have gone worse, and Daniel wasn't only thinking of the constant insults Tersis would throw at Camulus. She took immense pleasure in making him angry. This could be both a good and bad thing for them.

For a reason unknown to him, Daniel was driving himself mad over their odd relationship. He finally became so distracted and curious that he decided he needed to talk to Tersis alone. Tersis, that is (he doubted Camulus would be too happy to be pestered about it). And that is why he found himself in the small room they had set aside to accommodate her during her stay. Tersis was lying on the tiny bed, eyes wide open and staring at the ceiling.

"Hello," Daniel greeted uncertainly. He had been expecting pacing and complains about being on their 'pathetic planet' too long.

Her eyes shifted to him. "Daniel Jackson, correct?"

"Uh… right," he replied.

"Did you need something? Some question about today's meeting?"

"No. I'm just a little confused about something. You don't seem to be a very big part of this, if you don't mind me saying."

"I am here for one reason alone, and it is not Ba'al or the weapon, or Earth, for that matter," she responded, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest.

"Right… Camulus." He could see the surprise on her face. Then she grinned.

"Of course. He is very amusing, isn't he?"

"So the reason you go after him is because you think his anger is funny?" Daniel asked, clearly not understanding.

"Of course not. I merely wish to make him miserable throughout his pathetic existence."

Daniel took that in. He still wondered why she hated him so much, but asked a different question. "If you hate him so much, why don't you ever attack him, you know, directly?"

Tersis frowned now. "That is none of your business…" She closed her eyes and when she spoke next, the voice was soft and human.

"Because I love him."

All Daniel could think was, _Wow. It's like a bad soap opera._

Author's Note: PLEASE REVIEW! They put a little sunshine in my cloudy days. ; )


	2. Plots and Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1.

Note: Happy Easter!!

"Oh. Okay. Uh… Wow. Let me get this straight, you- you said you love him, right?" Daniel was fidgeting uncomfortably, but he finally managed to get the response out. 

"Yes."

"So, uh, what is _your _name?" he questioned.

She smiled kindly. "I am Leenova."

"Well, Leenova… if you don't mind my asking, how did that happen?"

Leenova frowned slightly. "I do not mind, as long as you have the time to listen." She stopped and sent him a questioning look.

"Oh. Of course."

"Vallis and I come from the same planet, you see…" 

Daniel interrupted. "Who's Vallis?"

"Oh. Forgive me. Vallis is the host of Camulus." When Daniel nodded his understanding, Leenova continued. "We were in love, and planned to be married. But then the Goa'uld came. Usually, we had some warning, but this time the Goa'uld found and murdered our guards, so they tried to hide those of us whom the Goa'uld would most likely choose to take. Our people had learned, over the years, what qualities the Goa'uld looked for when they came." 

"Your people tried to hide both you and Cam- Vallis because they thought you the most beautiful of them." 

"Among others, yes." 

Daniel wondered why this plan had not worked. "But something went wrong?"

"Yes. You see, the space we had to hide in was very limited. There was no room for me, so Vallis chose to give me his place. But by the time he was out, there was no time left, not that I would have deserted him anyway. We finished concealing the others and waited for the Goa'uld to come. We were chosen."

Daniel sat in thought for a moment. "But why would the Goa'uld choose both of you, together? Surely they could foresee some form of side effects."

"They do not have a very high opinion of love. They did not think it would matter," Leenova replied. "Obviously, they were wrong."

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Tersis was back in control when she heard the alarm. She was furious that her host had told Daniel Jackson so much, but what could she do? Punish herself? So she got to her feet and grinned at the two soldiers guarding her door. "Well, boys, I believe that would be my ride." Their confusion at her behavior was infinitely amusing.

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Camulus, Amaterasu, Yu, Tersis, and Oshu were waiting for the gate to lock in their coordinates. Tersis seemed to have chosen the spot where she could be as far away from Camulus as possible while remaining part of the group. Camulus was wearing a smirk, as if he believed she was doing it out of fear from his threats. The smile dropped when Weir spoke and all the Goa'ulds turned to face her. 

"It's unfortunate you're being recalled. I thought we were making such great progress."

Her words annoyed Camulus. "Your demands were ridiculous. We had no choice but to terminate negotiations," he spat. 

"Think of it this way, Dr. Weir: At least you do not have to deal with him anymore," Tersis stated dryly.

Weir smiled slightly. "Well, give my regards to Ba'al." 

The smug smile returned to Camulus' face as the wormhole opened. They all started toward it, but just before they could walk through, the gate shut off.

Tersis was the first to turn back toward the command center. The first thing she noticed was that Dr. Weir was more shocked than they were. The second was Daniel running out of command to meet them. She clasped her hands behind her back and waited for the good Dr. Jackson to join them. 

Amaterasu, on the other hand, was furious. "What is the meaning of this?" she growled. 

"The second message," Daniel said. "They've been recalled because the system lords have decided to test our defenses. They're sending a ship to attack Earth. It'll be here within the hour."

Soldiers rushed into the room, their guns trained on the Goa'ulds. 

"We are political dignitaries. How dare you prevent us from leaving?" Camulus demanded. 

_If you want to play that game, fine,_ thought Weir. "Sending ships here to attack us is an act of war… and a foolish one at that, given what our defenses are capable of." 

Oshu stepped forward. "My lord did not order such action."

"Then undo it," Daniel told him. "Tell the system lords to call the ships back."

"The decision they have made is one of desperation forced upon them by your unwillingness to help. Persuading them to change course could only be done in person," Amaterasu replied.

"With a full council vote," Oshu added. 

Weir looked skeptical. "Even if I did believe you, all good faith is out the window at this point. You're our prisoners. Take them away."

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Tersis was pacing. Why? Because the system lords had been grouped and placed into holding cells, and in an act of cruelty worthy of a Goa'uld, Dr. Weir had placed Camulus and Tersis together. Camulus was sitting on a low cot, watching her in annoyance. Finally, he snapped. "I command you to sit down this instant!"

Tersis stilled and spun to face him. "_You_ do not _command_ me to do anything, _Camulus_!" she snarled.

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"So… Why are we doing this?" asked Dr. Weir. She and Daniel were watching Camulus and Tersis argue on a small screen. 

"I'm hoping that if they are put together, the Goa'ulds will make it a matter of survival to separate. And they know the only way to do that is to help us," Daniel explained.

"I'm still having trouble believing this whole 'I love him' story." 

"Yeah, well, even if it doesn't get one of them to help us, we might see what triggers Leenova's appearance, which could be beneficial, not to mention… cool."

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Camulus got to his feet and stalked toward Tersis. "And what are you going to do about it, Tersis?"

Tersis raised her hand as if to strike, but Camulus took hold of her wrist. "Do not- Do not touch me!" Tersis screamed, blinking rapidly, fighting against Camulus' grip. Camulus smirked. Tersis' arm slackened as her eyes flashed. She looked straight into his eyes and smiled, then whispered, "Finally."


	3. Breakthroughs and Devious Goa'ulds

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate SG-1.

Camulus looked confused by, not necessarily the word she said, but the fact that the voice she said it in was human. "Tersis?"

"No, Camulus. Let me speak to him," Leenova demanded.

"Absolutely not!"

"Let me speak to him!"

"No!" Camulus roared, pushing the woman against the wall. She wasn't as strong as she was when Tersis was in control.

"Vallis!" she cried, seeming to wish only to anger the creature living in her beloved.

"Silence!"

"Vallis!" she yelled again, and Camulus backed away as if in pain, holding his head. "Let me speak to him!" Leenova wasn't letting Camulus get out of arm's reach.

Camulus was concentrating too hard on staying in control to reply. Then the fight was over. Camulus was kneeling on the floor and Leenova was crouched beside him with her arms wrapped protectively around his neck. Vallis had triumphed.

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Daniel and Dr. Weir became rather uncomfortable throughout the exchange. Sure, they were curious, but when the Goa'uld's human sides managed to break through, they felt a need to respect their privacy. Daniel was the first to speak.

"You know I don't have much sympathy for Goa'ulds…"

Dr. Weir looked over at him. "You think we shouldn't watch this."

"I pity them… Despite what they are."

"We should give them a few minutes, you think?"

"I thought it was bad not knowing what could have been… But imagine living each day conscious of the future you could have had while the thing that destroyed it was within you. Imagine fighting each moment for just the chance to fight some more."

Weir didn't know what to say, so instead she just put a gentle hand on his shoulder. That seemed to snap Daniel out of his trance. He looked up at her and nodded. Weir reached over and turned the small screen off.

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Leenova spoke softly into Vallis' ear, listening as his harsh breathing steadily calmed. "How are you feeling, my love," she finally whispered.

"Happy… to see you. I never even dreamt this could happen."

"Yes. We shall have to thank the Tauri for locking us in a room together," Leenova replied with a short laugh.

Vallis carefully unwound her arms from around his neck but kept a gentle grip on her hands. "How is it we have been brought to this? Finding each others company only in an enemy's cell?"

"Oh, Vallis… It will get better… It has to," Leenova murmured.

"How could it," Vallis questioned, voice containing much frustration.

"I have met someone here who I believe could help us… Daniel Jackson. I have told him of you and I. He could know of a way out."

"You told him? Are you sure he is to be trusted?"

"I am sure. At least, I am sure he is to be trusted around me."

"And that is the never-ending problem."

"We have to try, Vallis. Please. I know it's hard to overpower them, especially Camulus, but we must try," Leenova pleaded.

Vallis watched her for a moment. "We could truly be together… without them…"

"Yes."

"I will try, my love."

Leenova smiled lovingly and kissed him softly for no more than two seconds before Tersis pushed her way back to the forefront and shoved Vallis away. Vallis, who still had the upper hand with Camulus for the moment, scrambled to his feet.

"You piece of filth!" Tersis screeched. "Bend to your master's will and obey!" She may have hated Camulus, but she far preferred the Goa'uld to his host. She slapped him. There was nothing Vallis could do but leave gracefully, and that he did… this time.

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Tersis, Amaterasu, Yu, Camulus, and Oshu were gathered in a conference room, surrounded by armed guards. Both Tersis and Camulus seemed tense. Dr. Weir waltzed into the room, her face giving nothing away. "I have just received word that the Asgard have arrived. They want to witness the demonstration of our new ancient defense technology that you've forced us into. There's still time to call off the attack," she said.

Amaterasu declined by saying, "We would also like to witness the demonstration."

"Where is Daniel Jackson?" questioned Tersis.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the man walked into the room, saying, "Your ship isn't coming. It was destroyed en route by Ba'al. The collective forces of the system lords are bowing, and you're losing the war."

"Then so are you," Yu snapped.

Tersis jumped to her feet and made to head toward Daniel, but the soldiers around her raised their weapons. "You!" she yelled, pointing at him. "How dare you!" The others in the room were confused, and that confusion turned into shock when Daniel was beamed away.

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Dr. Weir took a deep breath as she prepared to enter Camulus' 'quarters'. He could hear it. He suspected the leader had seen something of what happened only half an hour ago with Tersis, for they had been separated. He wasn't complaining about that. He didn't look up when she entered.

"I've discussed the situation with my superiors. We've decided to let you all go."

This wasn't much of a surprise since there was little else they could do, but Camulus raised his head quickly, creating the illusion of shock. "I must admit that comes as a surprise," he said slowly. Rather obvious, actually, and not particularly good news.

"It seems we haven't had much success interrogating Goa'ulds in the past… and it was made apparent to me you're much more useful to us fighting Ba'al," she continued, trying to dissect his reaction to make something understandable.

Camulus sat in thought for a moment, but when he noticed the woman was leaving, he called her. "Dr. Weir."

She turned, surprise clear on her face. "You know my name?"

Camulus rolled his eyes mentally as he stood. "This may come as a surprise to you…" he started. _Everything else around here does_, he added silently.

Weir turned to face him fully. "Well, I'm not sure anything can surprise me at this point."

Ignoring the intense shame he felt at having to say what he said next, no matter the reason behind the words, he spoke. "I wish to request asylum."

"Well, seems I was wrong again."

Camulus sighed. "My fleet was destroyed before I came here, my domain among the first to fall. Tersis was so very disappointed that she was not the one to destroy me. I have nothing left with which to fight. The only thing waiting for me through the Stargate is shame and torture. So it is not true that I would be more useful to you out there. Perhaps… I could be of some use to you here."

When Camulus finished his speech, Dr. Weir nodded. "I'll think about it." When she turned to leave, she could have sworn she heard a soft voice whisper, "Tell Tersis," but when she turned her head to glance at Camulus one last time, his face had not changed in the slightest.

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"I think you'll be pleased to hear we have decided to let you all go," Weir told Tersis not even a second after the door was closed behind her.

"What changed your mind?" the Goa'uld questioned.

"We figure you'll be more helpful to us if you are directing all your energy into defeating Ba'al."

Tersis smiled slightly. "That is true for most of us."

"You know of Camulus' condition?" Weir questioned, feigning surprise.

"Of course. How could I destroy him if I did not keep an eye on him?" A few moments of silence passed before she added, "I suppose the coward requested to stay behind?"

This time the surprise was real. "He did, actually."

"Dr. Weir, as much as I would love to have him out of my way, I must warn you that it would be very unwise for you to consent to his request."

"And why is that?" Weir inquired, trying to hide her growing curiosity.

"Camulus never has one reason for doing anything, and most often the most apparent motive is the least important in his scheme," Tersis said seriously.

Weir let out a skeptical grunt. "Alright, so you're warning me that Goa'ulds are sneaky and lying. What else is new?"

"Dr. Weir, you do not understand the gravity of the situation. You are pondering your answer, while he already knows what you will choose. Before you finish your sentence, his mind has gone through every possible outcome of your conversation and picked the one that will work in his favor. By the time you finish your sentence, you have worked into his hands and given him all he needs to secure this outcome. When you go on to the next sentence, he is already on the next conversation taking place during the meeting you or another haven't even considered putting together, and yet, when you do, you will see such a hard face that you will most likely not even realize he was not surprised to be there. He will have the answer to your questions before you even ask them, therefore he will have too much time to decide whether or not to share them with you."

Weir didn't know what to think about this speech. Why would a Goa'uld tell her so much about the mind of another Goa'uld? There was something she wanted. So into her thoughts was she that she almost missed the words being mouthed by Tersis.

'Confusion. Why would a Goa'uld tell me so much about the mind of another Goa'uld? She must want something.' She stopped her mouthing and spoke with volume this time. "And I already know I'm going to get it," she said with a laugh.

Her startled mind became frightened, though she kept her expression neutral, and Weir stood from a chair she had seated herself in and walked swiftly to the door and banged twice, waiting impatiently for the guards to open it. Even when the door closed, she could hear Tersis' continued laughter, and it chilled her. "Keep a very close eye on her. Don't lose concentration for a second," she said. She turned to the closed door once more, for the laughter had stopped, replaced by footsteps. Just before she could speak, the voice on the other side of the door said the words for her.

"She will not be leaving with the others."

Note: Well, there is another chapter finished. Remember, reviews are the reason I bother posting these things, and I would greatly appreciate any words you wish to say. Even if it's just you telling me how handsome Camulus is. ; )


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